Hi everyone!
How are all my old AC pals? Haven't posted in awhile, but I wanted to share a recent discovery.
I had to sell a couple of my high-end components a couple of years ago consisting of my Audio Research VT200 amp and SAS Audio 10 preamp, both my all-time favorites of the many components of those types that I collected over a decade in this hobby. I retained the rest of my high-end system, and still love listening to music.
I recently scored on a very well preserved and maintained Fisher 500C tube receiver. Anyone not familiar with this unit should google it, check it out on Ebay, and read the review in Stereophile. It's a highly sought after product, and now I understand why. It's magical and I hardly miss the $12k worth of amplification that I gave up.
I recently visited an audio/video/Home Theater store, looking for bedroom speakers for my wife and on a whim, I decided to browse the clearance/trade-in section. I noticed a Nakamichi TA-4A Statis receiver on the shelf for $175 complete with remote. I wasn't familiar with the model, but I knew Nakamichi had a good reputation in the early 90's, and it looked like it was solidly built, and was very hefty. Since I could return it if I wasn't happy with it, I had nothing to loose, so I bought it and did some research on it when I got home. I learned that the amplifier circuit was a Nelson Pass design, is still highly regarded, and listed for $1295 in 1989.
I have owned many high-end solid state amplifiers over the years, but they never connected with me. They all seemed to have varying degrees of grain and lacked harmonic complexity compared to the good tube amps, including my recently acquired 500C. The
TA-4A is easily the best sounding SS amp I've ever heard. It is transparent, easy to listen to, and it has tremendous power and slam. It sounds very different from the Fisher, but is equally, and maybe even more impressive. I am thrilled to own two great vintage receivers.
Lesson: keep an open mind, and maybe take a chance on one of these guys if you can find them. They retain high resale value, so you wouldn't have anything to lose. Anyone living in the Milwaukee area is welcome to take a listen.
Happy listening!
